1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flashlight lens cover. More specifically, it relates to a flashlight lens cover which has a cap member pivotally mounted to a body member which is spring loaded to an open position when a latch is released.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of pivotally mounted lens covers on rifle scopes and binoculars is well known in the art. One example of a spring loaded lens cover for a rifle scope is shown in Vissing, U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,285. The Vissing lens cap is opened by the manipulation of a finger projection 17 as shown in FIG. 1.
Another example of an eye piece cover for gun scopes and binoculars is shown in Darkenwald, U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,629. The Darkenwald device is also provides a spring loaded cover which is opened by the depression of a spring clip 48 which is riveted to tubular body member 16. Each of these devices require the user to specifically locate and manipulate a particular latch release mechanism.
Numbers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,864 discloses a threadedly mounted cap for the lens opening of optical equipment such as cameras. Numbers provides a complex over center spring 22 which can be arranged to bias the lens cap in either an opened or closed direction.
The provision of light beam modifiers for flashlights and the like is also known. For example, Matthews, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,467 discloses a light beam modifier which has a body portion which is clamped onto the flashlight head and which has a spring loaded flip up cover 40. As is the case with many flip up lens covers, opening the cover requires manipulation of a finger-actuable portion 114 of the hook member 110 as is shown in FIG. 4 of the Matthews.
There remains a need for a flashlight lens cover (which term is intended to include covers for rifle lens, binoculars or other optical devices) which allows a user to quickly and easily open the flip up cover when use of the device is desired. There also remains a need for a lens cover device which is useful and inexpensive to manufacture and use.